2017 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, Round 2: Leaderboard, tee times, TV schedule

The ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP is scheduled to begin at 7:50 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, and the interface for PGA TOUR Pick ‘Em Live had all three bets for the first round loaded on Tuesday afternoon, so without further ado, let’s get right to it! Actually, there’s a little bit of ado. When Rob and Glass reviewed the 3-balls available in the interface, only four were offered, so they limited their two selections to them. PointsBet’s board already had a market for 24 of the 26 possible 3-balls, so more might be added (if they already aren’t by the time you’re reading this). If they are, it’s possible that either or both of our guys will make a change. Register for PGA TOUR Pick ‘Em Live here and monitor Rob’s and Glass’ progress as Influencers. For a broader explanation of the format and FAQs, click here. TOURNAMENT TO WIN Rob … Cameron Champ (+12500) Where better to swing for the fence with this guy than in a tournament promised to give him four rounds? It’s the only scenario in which I’m endorsing him, because look at that kickback! At the end of the day, and despite the struggles, he’s a winner. He knows how to close the sale. That’s all that matters pre-tournament and in a format in which we’re allowed to make changes. Glass … Hideki Matsuyama (+1100) No jet lag. No cultural acclimation. No learning a new course. Read Horses for Courses to learn why Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club is one of his favorites. If you’re busy this weekend like I am, set it and forget it. Heck, only big boys win events like this, so pick your favorite and adjust at 2:00 a.m. ET on Sunday as necessary or sleep on through! TOP 10 Glass … Sepp Straka (+360) Breakthrough came against Shane Lowry and Daniel Berger last year at Honda, so he won’t be worrying about that. Big field at TPC Southwind in the FedExCup Playoffs saw him finish second alone on a tough ball-striking course. Solo second in his only start this season at Sanderson Farms suggests he hasn’t cooled. My days of trying to chase the window are over. Rob … Aaron Rai (+560) I’m with Glass here. Don’t know about you, but I suffered the shutout in this bet at the Shriners. It was disappointing because I didn’t connect, but this game is like trick-or-treating on Halloween. You hope you don’t get a rock, but if you knock on enough doors … The Englishman lit up TPC Summerlin for a 62 in the third round, and he recently hung up a T5 in Italy, so his form is fine. Because I don’t mind reaching for him specifically at this value, I’ll sleep just fine, but he’s also in the vicinity of where I want to cash in a 78-man invitational with no cut. TOP 20 Rob … Keegan Bradley (+130) Because I can’t remember the last time when I was upright and lucid when this bet unlocked, my only objective with it this week is to get even or better value upon return. Besides, what little more can be found on the board isn’t enough to warrant the risk. My man-crush with Keegs dates back to his rookie season – it’s well-documented and I’m not ashamed – so it’s beautiful that he’s playing well enough and has the kind of success at Narashino that warranted a lofty perch in my Power Rankings. Glass … Matthew NeSmith (+200) Hit 64 of 72 GIR last week and cashed a career-best T2. His T9 the week before in Mississippi suggests he’s in a groove, and I’m willing to tag along. With a limited field, the long shots are few and far between. The Top 10 and Top 20 recently remind me of my first car. I had a sunroof that never opened. Stuck shut. Just like this window most weeks. Careful my friends! ROUND 1 LEADER Glass … Keegan Bradley (+3000) Ball-striking stud has a 63 here, good enough to share the course record, and he closed last season’s visit with 65. This is his third appearance and he’s hit T7 and T13 in his previous two, so he’s comfortable. I’d rather ride him for one round at 30-1 than four rounds for the same price. Try to steal 750 coins on day one and count your cash all weekend! Rob … Christiaan Bezuidenhout (+5000) Narashino CC is a sweet setup in that its respective pars are 34 and 36, and two of the three par 5s are on the inward nine, but scoring relative to par on both sides is much closer than you’d think. It’s because the easiest three of the 10 par 4s are in the outbound lane. So, I’ll open with one of the best putters in the field who’s going off No. 10 in the first threesome. The South African can build momentum before the turn and sustain it coming home. Unlike Glass, who is positioned three hours ahead of me and likely visiting the sandman before I do on Wednesday night, I’ll have more flexibility to adjust on the fly. Exploit every advantage, kids. 3-BALL #1 Glass … Keita Nakajima (+320) over Davis Riley and Kurt Kitayama Riley and Kitayama are nice players but the TWO-TIME Mark McCormack medal winner – first-ever to do so – should have the home-country advantage. Remember, this is one round, not four, and Nakajima has plenty of game. Nice longshot! Rob … Takumi Kanaya (+220) over Scott Stallings and Beau Hossler We’re loving on the host-country boys in this space, and for good reason. My pick scored lowered in every round en route to a T7 here last year, so he paid off the education. And since I’d be getting only 55 coins for the investment, it doesn’t matter much either way, anyway. 3-BALL #2 Glass … Hiroshi Iwata (+340) over Emiliano Grillo and Andrew Putnam If I’m going to roll with underdogs, let’s BARK BARK BARK with the man who opened with 63 here last year to tie the course record. He’s won and finished third in the last seven weeks, but he’s a big number due to a WD two weeks ago. As long as he makes it to the tee, we’re live! Rob … Stephan Jaeger (+150) over Wyndham Clark and Mikumu Horikawa Of the other three 3-balls available to us before we filed, the German is the most intriguing. He already was one of my Sleepers, so I was thrilled that he’s not the lowest value (Clark, +140) when I reviewed board. NOTE: While Glass and Rob typically stick with their selections as detailed in Pick ‘Em Preview, they are allowed the right to make changes at any time. Responsible sports betting starts with a game plan. Set a budget. Keep it social. Play with friends. Learn the game and know the odds. Play with trusted, licensed operators. CLICK HERE to learn more at HaveAGamePlan.org.

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Matt Kuchar continued his stellar play in Mexico with a third-round 65 to grab a 4-shot lead in the Mayakoba Golf Classic. Kuchar is looking to win for the first time in more than four years on TOUR. Whee Kim is his nearest chaser at 16 under after his 66 on Saturday. Richy Werenski and Danny Lee are five back while Aaron Wise, J.J. Spaun and Cameron Champ will start Sunday six behind. Here’s everything you need to know to follow the fourth round of the Mayakoba Golf Classic: Leaderboard Round 4 tee times HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN (ALL TIMES ET) TELEVISION: Thursday-Sunday, 1-4 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). RADIO: Thursday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com) NOTABLE GROUPINGS 11:05 a.m.: Matt Kuchar, Whee Kim, Richy Werenski 10:55 a.m.: Danny Lee, Aaron Wise, J.J. Spaun 10:45 a.m.: Cameron Champ, Brice Garnett, Jim Furyk 10:35 a.m.: Emiliano Grillo, Abraham Ancer, Pat Perez 10:25 a.m.: Tony Finau, Anirban Lahiri, Adam Hadwin MUST-READS Kuchar builds upon lead at Mayakoba Golf Classic Kuchar’s wife fills in for Z. Johnson’s sick caddie TOUR Insider: Mexico boasts four fully exmept players in field

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SOUTHPORT, England – At high noon here Sunday, Jordan Spieth should have a full grasp of the gameplan he hopes will produce his third major title. Although he’ll still be 2-1/2 hours away from his opening tee shot in the final round at Royal Birkdale, he’ll have benefitted from watching the earlier coverage of The Open Championship on TV. He’ll see how the course is playing, where the pins are, how the greens are rolling, how the conditions are impacting scores. Will it be a tough, hang-on type of day like Friday? Or will he need an aggressive approach, the kind he used Saturday when Royal Birkdale handed out red numbers like it was last call at the local pub? Yet there are two things he already knows he must do: (bullet) Play like he’s tied for the lead. Spieth is 11 under par and goes into Sunday with a three-shot cushion over Matt Kuchar. The next closest pursuers – U.S. Open champ Brooks Koepka and Spieth’s fellow Dallas resident Austin Connelly — are six shots back. It would be easy for Spieth to simply lay back and wait for anybody to challenge him. To play safe. But taking a defensive posture would be a detriment. After all, trying to avoid making mistakes is a recipe for making more of them. “I think I will assume that we are tied for the lead,â€� Spieth said. (bullet) Hit as many greens as possible. One of the key strategies all week for Spieth has been staying out of Royal Birkdale’s pot bunkers. He’s found a few, but he’s made just four bogeys this week, all in the second round in rainy, windy conditions. He shot bogey-free 5-under 65s in the first and third rounds, and there’s every reason to think he can avoid trouble again Sunday, provided his driver cooperates to set up the crisp irons he’s displayed here. “It’s all about greens in regulation,â€� said Spieth, who hit 15 of them on Thursday and 14 on Saturday. “If the conditions are tough and you have to lay it further back and play further away from holes, so be it. But having a putter in my hand for birdie is the most important thing for tomorrow.â€� Spieth’s ability to execute his gameplan at Royal Birkdale is why he’s on the verge of adding the Open to his major resume and moving three-quarters of the way to the career Grand Slam. Entering Saturday with a two-shot lead over Kuchar, he knew early on that scoring conditions were incredibly favorable – even though he saw only one hole of Branden Grace’s major-record 62. Previously anticipating that pars would be a really good score, Spieth adjusted his thinking, approaching par as just “OKâ€� on Saturday. “Royal Birkdale, notoriously difficult, had just become one of the easier golf courses that we play for one round for the year,â€� Spieth said. “You just kind of got to change that in your mind.â€� By the time he arrived on the first tee Saturday, he had an additional gameplan. This one included Kuchar. “Our gameplan when we stood on the tee was, let’s push each other to separate and get this pairing tomorrow,â€� Spieth said. “That’s kind of what we wanted to do.â€� While Spieth shot 65, Kuchar shot a 4-under 66 that included a double-bogey at the par-4 16th in which he found a bunker and also three-putted. Kuchar is hoping to become the eighth consecutive first-time winner in a major, but that double may come back to haunt him. On Sunday, Kuchar won’t be worrying about separating from the pack. His focus now is pretty easy: catch Spieth. But even though Kuchar has plenty of success in match play-type environments – he won the World Golf Championships-Dell Match Play in 2013 — he plans to avoid any kind of head-to-head showdown with his playing partner. “I’ll be playing with him but not focused on him,â€� Kuchar said. “My goal is to go out and play Royal Birkdale. “I’ll know exactly where we stand but I don’t know how much that ever helps you. You just have to go out and hit the best shot for that situation. I’ve been on some good form. The formula has produced a lot of good golf, and I hope it continues to produce some good golf tomorrow.â€� He’ll probably need some help from Spieth, but the 23-year-old Texan – he turns 24 next week – seems to have a pretty good formula for holding 54 holes. Of his last nine 54-hole leads on the PGA TOUR, he’s converted eight of them into victories. The lone miss was the 2016 Masters, when he put two balls in the water at the 12th in the final round and shot a 73, opening the door for Englishman Danny Willett. It was a harsh lesson, but one Spieth thinks ultimately will prove valuable. “I understand that leads can be squandered quickly, and I also understand how you can keep on rolling on one,â€� Spieth said. “It was a humbling experience that I thought at the time could serve me well going forward.â€� No matter the outcome on Sunday, Spieth doesn’t think the 2016 Masters will have a specific impact at Royal Birkdale. “If I don’t win tomorrow, it has nothing to do with that. It has to do with it was someone else’s day, and I didn’t play as well as I should have,â€� Spieth said. “And if I win tomorrow, it has nothing to do with that, either.â€� What it will come down to is simply this: executing his gameplan. Spieth’s been nearly flawless for the first three rounds. Difficult to imagine that Sunday will be any different.

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